The weather is getting warmer and I'm getting in the mood to make easy, summertime recipes. I have yet to find a good pasta salad recipe. Anyone want to share their recipes?

By Bellajoe on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 04:31 pm:

This is a delicious recipe. It is easy too. I usually have it as a side dish, then have the left overs for lunch the next day. I got it from the Quick Cooking catalog.

Here is a Pepperoni Pasta Salad recipe:

2 Cups uncooked tricolor rotini
1 Cup cubed cheddar cheese
1 Cup coarsely chopped cucumber
1 small tomato chopped
2 green onions
28 pepperoni slices ( why 28? i have no idea, i use as many as i want)
1/2 Cup zesty italian salad dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large bowl, combine pasta, cheese, cucumber, tomato, onions and pepperoni. Add salad dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate till serving.

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, September 18, 2004 - 03:42 pm:

Chicken Pasta Salad with Blueberries

Blueberry Vinegar:
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 cups white vinegar
2 T. sugar

Salad:
1 (9-oz) pkg. frozen French-cut green beans, thawed
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts(about 1-1/2 lbs.)
3 cups cooked spiral pasta (cooked without salt or fat)
1 cup fresh blueberries
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 T. finely chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup, plus 2 T. plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup plus 1 T. reduced-calorie mayonnaise
3 T. blueberry vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
Lettuce leaves (opt.)

Blueberry vinegar: Place blueberries in a sterilized 1-qt. glass jar. Combine vinegar and sugar in a non-aluminum saucepan over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour vinegar mixture over blueberries. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 3 days. Strain blueberry mixture through several layers of cheesecloth into decorative jars; discard blueberries. Seal jars with a cork or other airtight lid. Yield: 2 cups

Salad: Place green beans between paper towels and squeeze until barely moist. Combine green beans, chicken, pasta, blueberries, celery, green onion and oregano in a large bowl. Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, blueberry vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl; stir well. Pour over chicken mixture; mix gently. Cover and chill 2 hours. Serve on a lettuce-lined plate, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (about 1-1/2 cups)

This recipe is from Cooking Light and is sooo good! I need to make it before it gets cold out. It's been requested. I have only made it with the blueberry vinegar and don't know how much the taste would be different if I cheated and used just apple-cider vinegar instead. It's worth the effort!

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 12:28 am:

Lemony Orzo Salad

1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 1/3 cups diced zucchini
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives

Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well. Combine orzo, zucchini, and onion in a large bowl; toss well. Combine parsley and next 6 ingredients (parsley through pepper); stir well with a whisk. Stir into orzo mixture; add tomato, cheese, and olives, tossing gently to coat.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 199(22% from fat); FAT 4.8g (sat 1.5g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 6.7g; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 58mg; SODIUM 307mg; FIBER 1.8g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.7g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2000

This one is good, too, made better by being able to provide my own fresh basil, which is now big enough to start harvesting! Yum!

By Ginny~moderator on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 05:01 pm:

I've always done a by-guess-and-by-gosh pasta salad that is always well received. I cook up a bunch of tricolor rotini, add a bunch of chopped salad-type veggies, throw on whatever salad dressing /vigaigrette (sp?) I think will work well, and at the last minute add some cubed ham, turkey, chicken or whatever. If I were a roast beef person, I'd use that also. Top it off with several extra cubes of meat so they can see the meat, and arrange some of the chunked veggies on the top for looks.

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 05:50 pm:

Ginny, that sounds really good, too. I'm going to a get-together tonight and made the orzo salad, although I had to go to a couple of stores to buy fresh mint. Maybe it's time to start growing my own, except that I know it takes over your garden! LOL! I love being able to pick fresh basil in the summertime!

By Ginny~moderator on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 08:08 pm:

Dawn, when I planted mint (against my better judgment but Mom wanted it), I cut the bottom out of a plastic 5 gallon bucket, dug the hole and put the dirt back in, leaving a 4-5 inch rim above the ground, and planted the mint in that. It never traveled.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 07:57 am:

That sounds like a good idea! Will try that next year!

By Sunny on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 01:36 pm:

Wow, I originially posted this over 3 years ago!
Since the time I posted this, I've made up my own salad recipe. I also use tri-colored rotini, then I add fresh broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers, carrots and aged provolone cheese. Sometimes I add tomatoes (usually those I grow myself) and pepperoni. I mix in an Italian dressing, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and chill. It doesn't last long in my house!
I may try some of the other recipes, too.